The Explosive Matter sophomore filly Queen Of The Hill went to the lead in her seasonal debut, then had to dig down deep to hold off With Out A Doubt in the featured trot on Friday (June 26) at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Dexter Dunn was in the sulky behind Queen Of The Hill as she was victorious in 1:56.3. for trainer Per Engblom and owner Al Libfeld. She has now amassed $181,134 in her still-brief career as the stakes season approaches.

Queen Of The Hill was second in her Matron Stake contest last year; on the colt side, the Father Patrick colt Patriarch Hanover had that distinction, and he also won for the first time in 2020 later in the card. Matt Kakaley kept the winner of $123,920 off a hot (:27.1, :55.3, 1:24.1) tempo, then tipped him wide off cover and won nicely in 1:53.2 for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing Stable LLC, William Switala, James Martin, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

The Credit Winner – Velma K freshman trotting filly Etra De Vie did not have an easy trip in her purse debut, but she trotted her back half in :56.2 to catch favoured Pub Crawl by a neck in 1:57.3. Dexter Dunn got the most out of the filly for trainer Jenny Melander and Belmar Racing And Breeding LLC.

Fastest mile on the pace was the 1:50.4 lifetime best turned in by Captain Mulzac, a son of Captaintreacherous who now has nine wins in but 21 career starts for trainer Kevin McDermott and owners 3 Fools LLC, Francis Azur, Jim Winske, and Stephen Michaels.

Captain Mulzac’s driver Tim Tetrick brought home the winning horse five times on the card (which he left after the 11th of 14 races to fulfill early commitments at The Meadowlands). That gives the defending dash-winning driving champion 15 victories here since Wednesday, and he is scheduled to be at Philly Sunday, when harness racing resumes at 12:40.

The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and companion Stallion Series make their 2020 debuts on Wednesday and Thursday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with more than $600,000 on the line for promising two-year-old pacers. The fillies start off the action Wednesday with four Sire Stakes divisions and a like number of Stallion Series cuts, while on Thursday colts and geldings will compete in four sections of Sire Stakes and six of the Stallion Series.

(PHHA / Harrah’s Philadelphia)